DECEASED Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'deceased' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead , defunct , departed , and late . While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased , departed , and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use. // the estate of the deceased

Q: Where would 'dead' be a reasonable alternative to 'deceased'?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased , dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life. // a dead , listless performance

Q: When is 'defunct' a more appropriate choice than 'deceased'?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation. // a defunct television series

Q: When could 'departed' be used to replace 'deceased'?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism. // our departed sister

Q: When is it sensible to use 'late' instead of 'deceased'?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status. // the company's late president

deceased 1 of 3

adjective

di-ˈsēst

Definition of deceased

as in dead

no longer living the recently deceased tenant was found by a concerned neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deceased

2 of 3

noun

as in decedent

Related Words

deceased

3 of 3

verb

past tense of decease

as in died

to stop living no one knows what happened to the family fortune after the spinster deceased

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the adjective deceased contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

Where would dead be a reasonable alternative to deceased?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than deceased?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace deceased?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is it sensible to use late instead of deceased?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deceased

Adjective

First responders were summoned to the scene and found the three deceased victims, Police Valais added. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 If one of the owners is deceased, an original death certificate will be requested. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

Noun

GEDMatch is one of the databases used by the DNA Doe project, a non-profit that works to name the deceased who remain unidentified. — Crimesider Staff, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2018

Verb

Officers met with fire crews who recovered the body from the water and declared the person deceased on scene. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 Sugar confronts her at a ceremonial funeral for the unknown deceased, a fittingly dramatic setting for our guy to have the final word as FBI agents roll up on the assemblywoman. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deceased

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceased

Adjective

The passenger, later identified as Daria Serkov, sustained severe trauma to the body and was pronounced dead.

— Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Two people were shot and one is dead after an overnight shooting in Lauderdale Lakes, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of dead

Noun

At the South Chicago Chapel, none of the remains from South Chicago Chapel had tags listing the decedents' full name and date of birth or other unique identifiers, though some had funeral home or hospital tags.

— Casey Toner, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
The medical examiner's office is assessing the conditions of the remains and searching for documentation to identify the decedents, including their death certificates, Cook County said.

— Luke Barr, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of decedent

Adjective

The incident caused street closures for a second day as crews worked to remove the fallen rig, impacting local businesses in the area.

— Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Plus, Vallejo toasts all barrels with fallen oak gathered from the estate to ensure a 100% local identity.

— Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of fallen

Noun

In the meantime, there’s a lot of unwieldy comic commotion involving a missing corpse, a tweaking, naked Dwight and enough insipid TV sibling bickering to clog the airwaves for a decade.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
As the curtains pull back, she is revealed standing over the corpse with a bloodied trophy in her hands as the audience gasps.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of corpse

Verb

Pries’s suggestion, known as the inverse Galois problem, was inspired by the work of the 19th-century French mathematician Évariste Galois, who perished after he was wounded in a gun duel at age 20.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
As a result, more people have now died of environmental illnesses that followed the September 11 attacks than perished during the collapse of the towers that day.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of perished

Adjective

The backstory For most of my life, the Old Dutch Inn has been just a faint memory of kicking my legs from a bar stool, drinking a Shirley Temple next to my late grandmother, who would likely have been nursing a gin and tonic.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
According to reports in September 2025, CATL’s European general manager Matt Shen informed that the company had been aiming to start production in late 2025 or early 2026.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of late

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“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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